Tomato Sauce vs. Gravy

If you grew up in an Italian household, like I did then you know that we, Italians, refer to tomato sauce as “gravy”.  When you mention gravy in context to meatballs and pasta to someone who doesn’t know our affectionate term, you will most likely notice a very funny look come across their face.  In their mind’s eye they have an image of brown gravy over pasta.  Which I agree is gross!

So what does this have to do with money?  Simply, that our thoughts and beliefs about things and situations are formed from the environment that we were raised in and can sometimes be referred to as “heritgage beliefs”.   

 

A heritage belief is a thought pattern about a thing or situation, that we inherited from previous generations – familial or societal.  They are neither good nor bad, just not necessarily true for you and sometimes they are not even conscious.

 

Just yesterday, I was driving to a meeting thinking about several projects I have in the works for my business and the assoicated cost when I heard my inner voice say “In order to get what you want, you have to spend money.”  That statement, from my inner voice, stopped me in my tracks because it was not mine – it was my Dad’s.  It was a belief that he had about money that had been subconsciously (until yesterday) mine.  Without realizing it I was living and breathing his truth about having to pay for what he wanted, not mine!

 

As a child, my cousin was conned into giving her dimes to her older brother in exchange for nickels.  He convinced her that the nickels were worth more because they were bigger in size.  To this day, my cousin believes that the bigger the item, the more it is worth.

 

Our heritage beliefs effect our interaction with money whether we realize it or not.  Uncovering our heritage beliefs as they relate to money (or anything else) is like peeling back the layers from an onion.  You have to start with the outer most layer and work you way towards the center.  I can share with you, I am halfway through the layers of my onion and working through each layer strengthens  my relationship with money.

 

Your Money Alignment Exercise

To begin peeling back the layers of your onion, think about your answers to the questions below.  They will help you to begin to understand the heritage beliefs you have formed around money and determine whether or not they are true for you today.

 

1.  As a child, what were you taught was the most important thing about money?  Did you adopt this idea or rebel against it?

2.  As a child, when have you been positively moved by money?  For example, you bought a toy with your allowance or you shared your money with a friend so you could both get ice cream.

3.  As a child, when have you been negatively moved by money?  For example,  when you had to share your birthday gifts with your sibilings before you even had the chance to play with them.

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